Why I Believe in CCSF & Our Faculty Union: Mary Bravewoman

I’m a former City College student, current Math faculty, and now, proudly serving my second term as Union President of AFT 2121. Like so many of us, my heart belongs to City College. I know from personal experience how special this institution is and how what happens here can, and does, change and save lives!

While working alongside you for the good of our students and our contract is not easy–it’s hard work–I do it because our community and our mission is worth it. At City College we enhance the lives of our students and make our communities better. Our faculty union is essential to defending and improving our school.

When we work together as a union, we have power both from the law and from the strength of our unity. A couple examples:

• Salaries: Faculty at union community colleges earn an average of $19,000 more annually than their non union counterparts. At AFT 2121, we won a 14% raise last December by working together. Without union power, that would not have happened.

• Shared Governance: We respect the work of individual administrators at our college, but, broadly speaking across higher education, the number, pay, and power of administrators has skyrocketed over the past 50 years (see American Institute for Economic Research). This has led to an erosion of shared governance across the country, as faculty have found the norms that once gave them a voice no longer hold (see this fantastic piece from the Martin Center). And this more than anything is why I remain committed to my union: through unions, faculty can use the collective bargaining process and the labor laws that support it to fight not just for higher salaries and better contracts, but also stronger departments, programs, and schools.

Unions are how we ensure that our expertise is part of the decision making process–not just a recommendation, but a driving, legally-backed force.

However, that only works, if we stick together. That is why I encourage each and every one of you to make sure you’re a member of your union (join here), and to join AFT 2121’s enrollment campaign in the fall so we can work together to improve our departments and our college.

In Unity,
Mary Bravewoman

Email Scam Alert!

Some of you may have received an email stating that you are required to use a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) process using a mobile device to access your ccsf.edu email. This is a scam. Do not use the QR code provided!

AFT 2121 and the District are currently in negotiations over how to best implement an MFA process, but we have not finalized the process. Specifically, we are working on solutions that do not require faculty to use a mobile device.

Image from Scam Email below (the original includes a QR code):